Opening statement: “Thanks for being here. I appreciate you guys sticking it out, staying for the whole thing. Really, injury wise nothing much – couple sprained ankles LaQuan [Williams], Vonta [Leach], [Sergio] Kindle had a burner. Ricky Brown had a hip contusion so nothing to really speak of there. The guys that had the issues injury-wise got through well. So, that’s good news, and we’ll just move on from there. Thought we played well early. We just need to finish the drives, finish the drives on defense and get off the field on third downs, make catches – those kinds of things. And, we need to pick up more points. We had the ball for 10 minutes in the first quarter, so that’s a step in the right direction.”

On special teams on the blocked kick: “That was just a bust by a rookie. Just gets straight protection. It wasn’t even a rush by then. Just a guy leading when he should have been blocking.”

On penalties: “Yeah, I look forward to seeing them. It’ll be nice to see what they were because I couldn’t see them on the screen and I couldn’t see them on the field. I was happy to see some explosiveness from those guys doing it and a lot of good blocks. That was also a step in the right direction.”

On special teams and how Deonte Thompson looked: “I think he had his hands out there and someone else recovered. I think Omar [Brown] got it right. The guy is always around the ball, right? (laughing) It’s nice for these young guys to get an opportunity to see these guys, to see what they can do over the course of a long game like that. It’s been a long camp; it’s been a long offseason for them as far as OTAs and all that. The cream does start to rise to the top a little bit and shakes itself out. We have a lot of guys doing a good job of that. Preseason is a little bit more of an individual type of an opportunity to evaluate that.”

On what he thinks about the kickers: “Yeah, both of them. We tried to tell them we didn’t want the ball kicked out of the end zone. We wanted to cover kicks as much as we could, and they’ve still pulled back to five-yard approaches, and they were still pounding it in the back of the end zone. So, that was good to see from the kickoff standpoint. And, then making all the field goals, that was positive. They weren’t gimmes either. They were tougher ones. They were a little further out, and they both kicked good straight balls.”

On what he thought about RB Bernard Pierce: “Kind of what we expected to see. He looks like a talented guy. He ran hard, he had some quickness in there. We saw enough for tonight coming off that hamstring I think he has been working with. And, hopefully, we can keep him getting healthier and see more the next couple weeks.”

On whether Joe Flacco finding LaQuan Williams was a design or if it just happened: “No, that was just more of the progression that took him there. We were in three or four wide receiver packages and we are in one-back and no-back type things where we spread them out. The coverage pretty much dictates where you’re going. It seemed to me that Joe [Flacco] did a really good job of reading it out and taking it where the coverage told him to take it. He was quick with the ball, decisive, very accurate and LaQuan [Williams] looked pretty good.”

On if he likes where the team is: “Yeah, I like where we’re at in some ways and not in others. You can never predict it, that’s the thing. We’d like to be doing everything great, but you’re not going to peak really early, and it’s August. We’ve got a long season in front of us. I think we’re growing in some areas, but we’re not doing everything we’re going to do, but neither are the guys on the other side. I think seeing guys kind of gel a little bit, develop what they are doing individually. I didn’t like our communication at times on defense, for instance, especially in the second half with the younger guys, and that’s stuff we still need to work on. We’ve got lots of stuff to work on, but that’s going to continue into September, October and November once we make our team up. That’s how football is.”

On how he thinks Tyrod Taylor played: “I just have to look at the tape. We say that, but it’s the truth. Tyrod [Taylor] is a playmaker. He makes plays. So, we’ll just see where the progressions were at, where the throws were at, but he moved the ball a little bit. So, that was good to see.”

On what stood out about Courtney Upshaw: “Nothing stood out that I saw. I think he played hard. It’s good to get him out there, he needs to play. Here’s a guy that hasn’t practiced that much. He’s only practiced a couple of days. So, just to have him out there playing was a good thing. We’ll just see where he goes from here.”

QB Joe Flacco

On how the offense moved the ball and how comfortable he was in the no-huddle: “I thought we threw the ball pretty well. I felt really comfortable. I thought we did a good job … to keep them off balance a little bit. But we’ve just got to finish when we get down there.”

On the offensive line play: “I think it was good. I didn’t really feel anything. I got hit in the back on one.”

On LaQuan Williams and his play: “I think he did a good job of getting open. I think, like I said, I think we can finish a couple things off there. Torrey [Smith] wasn’t able to play, and he stepped up and did a good job.”

On if this is the time to work on finishing things off: “You go into these games, and you kind of have a little bit you want to work on, and you won’t go out there and run everything. You have such a small amount of plays to actually draw from and see how well you played. That’s why when you get down there you want to finish them off. I think if we were to play this game, and play all four quarters, it would have been a good one. It would have been interesting to see. We weren’t able to do it. That’s why when you do get those two chances, that’s why it’s all about finishing off, finishing off, and the biggest thing with that is if we’re going to be the offense that we want to be, in order to put up 30-some points every week, you have to score touchdowns. You don’t want to get in the business of just not converting and kicking.”

On the long first half, penalties and if they affected the offense’s rhythm: “It’s a little annoying, but it didn’t really affect us too much with the flags. I wish they would have left them in there a little bit. But hey, we’ll see. If they needed to be called, they needed to be called. Obviously, I don’t like the ones that are called against us, but it goes that way.”

On the offense this week: “Last week, on our first drive, we completed a couple balls, but we didn’t move the chains. I think if there’s a little bit of difference there, you know, plus you get that first first down you’re able to get into a little bit more of a rhythm, things can start going a little bit. I think early on we were able to do that this week. I don’t think we played poorly last week. I think it just worked out like that, and this week was nice. I don’t know how important it really would have been, but it was definitely nice to get off on a good start and move the ball down there.”

On quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell: “It’s working well. I’ve had a good relationship with all the QB coaches that have been here, and Jim fits right in. Great communication in there, and we’re working to get me ready to go on game day. Obviously, he added some new things to the offense … but it’s been a great relationship.”

On the offensive line: “We’re definitely starting to come together. We’re still learning and guys are still getting used to some things, but we’re getting better every day.”

On if there is still room for improvement: “Oh, definitely. There’s always [room for improvement]. The greatest player in the world is going to always have to find something to get better at. So, we have a lot of work. Definitely still have some things to work on.”

On whether the team likes where they are right now: “Like I said, we’ve got a lot of things we can work on, and I’m pretty sure once we cut on the film, we’ll have some mistakes and some things we can do better.”

On going up against a pretty good Detroit defensive front tonight: “Oh, definitely. They’re definitely a good defense, they play hard, they’ve got a bunch of tough players and they’re doing a lot of great things.”

RB Bernard Pierce

On feeling better about playing in the league after getting his first NFL game under his belt: “I would say that everybody needs to have that swag, that confidence to show off what they can do under any system. So, I would say I’m real confident.”

On why the first team offense seemed to have more success tonight: “I would say just the game speed. The ‘ones’, they swarmed the field, they’re everywhere. If you broke one tackle, somebody else did it. And the ‘twos’, I would say they’re still fast, but it’s not as fast. But you’re playing with a whole bunch of vets that know exactly what they’re doing, because they’ve been playing for years. So, they know the game in-and-out.”

On how much fun he had tonight: “Oh, it was fun. After I got a couple hits in, got my little jitters out, I could actually play.”

On how it felt to get back on the field: “Oh, it felt great to be back playing live action. It was my first live action, so it was really good to get out there and just get to run a little.”

On how he feels the defensive unit is coming along: “I mean it’s pretty decent. We’ve got a lot to work on still, but we’re still a very talented group and I think we can get the job done.”

On what needs to be improved in the first couple of quarters: “I think just minor technique things; looking for the ball the right way, playing smarter down in the red zone. I mean that plays a big part of the plays out there tonight.”

On whether he has the confidence that those problems can be fixed: “Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. I have no doubt in the world that we can get it fixed.”

On what happened on the Calvin Johnson touchdown pass: “Yeah, that’s the thing about it; they throw that back shoulder, so in the red zone I’ve got to be better on my technique. I looked back for the ball instead of playing through his hands, and if you look back for the ball you’re never going to get it. That was just poor technique by me.”

On it being a tough assignment going against Calvin Johnson: “It had nothing to do with who it was. Anybody would have caught that, because I looked the wrong way.”

On his progression and having a chance to play both sides of the offensive line: “It’s been fun playing both sides. I’m just trying to give the guys a look, get some experience at both right tackle and left guard, and just gain some experience and get better every play.”

On what it’s been like to play with Marshal Yanda: “Oh, it’s been great. Marshal is great. He’s a great communicator out there, he’s very intelligent, he can see things before they happen. So, it’s been great. All I’ve had to do is be physical and listen to Marshal pretty much.”

On how beneficial it has been for him to play into the second half of these games: “Oh, yeah, definitely it’s good for football shape, it’s good for the extra plays and the experience. [I’m] getting better at every play, getting my body ready to play four quarters and stuff like that, so that’s been good for me. I’m a young guy, so they’re just trying to add me in there and be physical for as many plays as they can so I’m ready.”

On whether he’s seen an improvement in the offensive line: “Yeah, we’re definitely starting to gel. Six days a week of practicing together, you’re going to start to gel, and this week it really showed. We started gelling and having some pretty good days.”

On tonight’s performance: “I think it was ok. I did alright. I was pretty upset that I dropped the ball. I was pretty disappointed about that. My goal going in was not to drop any balls. The atmosphere was really great. It’s a blessing to be a part of this. It’s mind-blowing to me.”

On battling for a position on the team: “Really when I’m playing a game, I don’t look at it that way. I just want to go out and play my game. It’s the only thing I can focus on really. You can’t worry about things you can’t control. You just have to play your game.”

On his body of work in the preseason: “There’s two more games left in the preseason so I’m just hoping I get to showcase my talent. After all those games have been played, I can look back on it and see if I made the team.”

On where he is after two preseason games: “I’m never really where I want to be because I’m always working on getting better. I know where I’m at, and I know where my role is on this team. I just get in there and try to work on things that I need to work on. Today I got that done. Today I worked on my one-back stuff. I wasn’t in there in the two-back sets. I worked on more of the one-back and pass-routes, getting my checks with [QB] Joe [Flacco] and getting a good tempo.”

On the offense: “I’m only going to speak for the ones because that’s when I was in there. Overall we found our tempo, and we were able to route the ball. We just have to finish when we get down there.”

On getting ready for game 3: “I think every game we have to have a sense of urgency. We’ve had a pretty intense camp, and I’ve been getting a lot of reps. If we can get into a normal game week, we can kind of get the legs back under us this week and get out there and see what happens.”

On Bernard Pierce and the rest of the running backs: “It was good to see them get going. We are definitely going to need them this year. I might be singled out as ‘the one’ but we know what Ricky Williams did for me last year. That’s the kind of stuff we’re going to need.”

WR Deonte Thompson

On his first home game: “It was a lifetime experience, especially watching Ray [Lewis] come out of the tunnel. It was a great experience.”

On his long return: “The guys did a great job blocking. I saw the crease and I told coach I was going to hit it with all I’ve got, and I just took it and went from there.”

On building on his performance from last week: “You have to keep going out there and work hard every day. I had a great game last week. But maybe I didn’t have as good of a game this week. I didn’t get as many catches, but mostly I played well.”

On what his long return may mean to making the club: “It made me feel wonderful. Just letting the coaches see that I could do things other than catching the football. I can play on multiple special teams and things like that.”

On the defense’s performance: “We still have to put that work in, especially in the back end. We say that we want to be the best but we have to come out and play like we’re the best. It all starts in practice. I guarantee you that when we go back to practice, we’re going to work like we’re playing four quarters. That’s what we want to be. We want to be on top.”

On correcting the big plays: “I don’t think that anything needs to change. Guys just need to keep on competing. [Detroit Lions WR] Calvin [Johnson] made a great play on [CB] Jimmy [Smith]. It was a great back-shoulder fade and he made a great catch. I feel like Jimmy just needs to keep playing. You just have to play through the guy, but Calvin made a great play. The guys know from me, looking on the sideline, they’re really playing aggressively. They pressed some, they played off, and they played like they weren’t scared. They made some plays tonight. There’s just some things we have to go back and correct.”

On Lions WR Calvin Johnson: “He has size but I don’t think that’s what killed us tonight. I think they just made a couple plays. We just all have to get on the same page. It’s all about 11 guys working on the same page. Our corners played pressed tonight – they weren’t scared of 81 [Calvin Johnson]. They were willing to put their hands on him, and as long as they do that, we’ll be alright.”

On his long punt return: “I was just trying to run and not get caught from behind, and I was able to cut it back and get into the end zone.”

On the play being called back: “That’s football. It’s the preseason, and that stuff is going to happen. That’s why we play the preseason – so we can correct those mistakes that count against us in the games that count. We’re going to get that stuff cleaned up. That’s not stuff that we usually do, especially on special teams.”

On getting into the end zone in his first home game: “It’s an unbelievable feeling—I’m never going to forget it. I wish I still had the ball. I was just too excited, and I dropped it somewhere. Especially doing returns, it’s something I take pride in. It’s the way I’m going to make this team. I was really happy that I was at least able to get that on film, even though it didn’t count. I am definitely someone who can be of value on special teams to this team.”

On proving that’s he’s a playmaker: “That’s the mindset that I came in with. I told you guys when I got here that I pride myself on being a big-play guy. If you put the ball in my hands, I showed that I can do that. It may not be every single time but that’s always going to be the goal.”

On getting into the end zone: “I had a punt return almost the same exact way in my sophomore year of college. I ended up getting caught from behind when I cut across the field so my only thought was, ‘don’t caught by someone coming across the field from behind.’ It was all worth it. I got into the end zone, and I got to do my celebration. Then I saw the flag – up until that point it was one of the greatest moments of my life.”

On being in the right spot at the right time: “I think there are always things to clean up. I could have had a couple more tackles for a better yard situation. I got a little late on the tackles, but overall, I think I played well and was in the right spot.”

On the first-team defense: “I think we played well. There were a couple of big plays we gave up early on that I think we want to avoid. All in all, I think we played well. Like I said, I think there are some things we can clean up, but overall I think we played solid.”

On the roughing the passer penalty called against him: “Yeah, I made a mistake. He threw it right before I hit him and I don’t know. It’s one of those things I wish I could go back. I was just too high and tried to take my head down and hit him low on the shoulder, but it was just too high when I got close. It was a big mistake, so hopefully I won’t have to pay too much for it.”

On if he was just trying to hit somebody: “I was just trying to be aggressive, trying to get there before he released the ball and trying to get my head down. But, like I said, it’s just one of those things where you’re going to have to learn to start to do more often or else you’re going to be paying hefty fines every week.”

OLB Courtney Upshaw

On how it felt to get back out on the field: “I really needed this game. It was a preseason game, but just to get on the field and being out there, I missed last week’s game. I have been back at practice for a couple of days, and I’ve gotten a few reps, but just being back in that game, I really needed it. In the second half, I felt a little better. In the first half, I was really just trying to get a feel of it. I really didn’t feel myself, but I came out of that first series and had a tackle. I really just wanted to come out and be more productive in a game. But, like I said, I really needed this game.”

On what he liked most about what he did today: “Just being in there and being able to know what I’m doing whenever the play is called. Like I said, I just want to be more productive in a series. Just the fact that I do know the defense is coming along. Like I said, this first game is out of the way, and I’m ready for the next one.”

On something he can pull from this game that he needs to work on: “I got called for lining up off sides. It’s just being disciplined. The ball is there. I am just looking at the ball, and it cost seven points. I feel bad about it because we were third-and-short, and I know they batted the ball down but there was a penalty on me. I guess it’s just being disciplined. I am sure coach is going to talk about that with me when we get back to it, and it’s something I’m going to take to practice.”

On the offense trying to chop block him a lot: “My first series, they got me good. I kind of felt a little slow, I missed the first game and just getting that game experience. But, in the second half, I read it good and was able to stay on my feet; it’s a whole lot different. These guys know what they’re doing. In college, you have guys that don’t know what they’re doing, they can kind of do the wrong thing sometimes.”

QB Tyrod Taylor

On why he was so effective rushing the ball: “Sometimes you just have to make a play, whether its just protection, a guy not winning on a route. Sometimes, you just have to move the chains, and that’s what it leads to. I want to put that extra threat on the defense, and I was trying to make a play.”

On if the lack of completions were frustrating for him tonight: “I missed some guys, but that’s how the game goes. You just have to keep playing through it. And, like I said, just go back to the drawing board.”

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